Combined rain-water cut-off and filter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. W. BAYS.

COMBINED RAIN WATER GUT-OFF AND FILTER.

No. 452,538. Patented May 19, 1891.

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COMBINED RAIN WATER GUT-0F]? AND FILTER.

No. 452,538. Patented May 19, 1891.

ooeolll-o o oo UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM WV. BAYS, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

COMBINED RAIN-WATER CUT- OFF AND FILTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,538, dated May 19,1891.

' Application filed March 19,1890. Serial No. 344,505. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM \V. BAYS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Knox ville,-in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee,have invented new and useful Improvements in Combined Rainater Cut- Offsand Filters, of which the following is a specification. v 7 t Thisinvention relates to a combined rainwater cut-01f and filter.

The object of my invention is to produce a device of the abovedescription in which the flow of the soiled and impure water isdeflected or carried away from the cistern or reservoir, and the purewater carried to a suitable filter previous to being discharged into thecistern; furthermore, to produce a combined rain-water cut-oft andfilter in which the mechanism for deflecting the flow of the water shallbe operated automatically by the rain-water, itself, and finally toproduce a device which shall be of the greatest simplicity ofconstruction and highest efficiency and durability in use.

WVith these objects in view the invention consists, broadly, of a casinghaving mounted therein a pivoted spout, the discharge-mouth of which isnormally turned from the filter, and mechanism connecting with the saidspout to cause it automatically to turnin the position necessary tobring the discharge- Inouth over the filter. Y

The invention further consists in the improved constructionandcombination of parts in a combined rain-water cut-off and filter, aswill be hereinafter fully described in the specification, illustrated inthe drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and inwhich like reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts, I haveillustrated one form of device embodying the essential features of myinvention, although the same may be carried into effect in other wayswithout in the least departing from the spirit thereof; and in thedrawings- Figure 1 is alongitudinal vertical section-a1 view of myimproved device, showing the internal construction of the same. Fig. 2is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 00 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a top plan view with the cover or lid in position. Fig. 4 is asimilar View with the cover or lid removed. Fig. 5 is a perspectivedetail view, showing a modification of the mechanism for operating thehopper.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the casing of thedevice. which may be made of any suitable material-such, for instance,as tin-ware, sheet-iron, galvanized iron, cast-iron, zinc, &c., or evenwoodand may be supported in any manner desirable, but preferably upon abase or bench 2, and on which it is held by means of straps or bands 3,which pass-through rings or cleats at, and which are secured on theunder side of the base or bench 2 by means of a buckle or otherfastening device 5.

The shape of the casing 1 may be of any desired configuration, but thatshown in the drawings is preferred-that is, having vertical side wallsand rounded ends.

Upon the top of the casing l is placed a removable cover or lid 6,consisting of a center portion 7, carrying on its top a stationaryhopper 8, and said hopper may be round, oblong, oval, or square, asdesired. The center portion 7 also carries two hinged flaps 9, which areheld closed by springs 10, enga ing projections 11 on the casing, or, ifdesired, on the rim of the lid. The flaps 9 are supported by horizontallongitudinal bars 11, attached to the cover or lid. The use of the flapsis to allow the inside of the casing to be seen without removing thecovering 6. The hopper S is placed beneath a.spout12,.which in thisinstance represents a rain-spout connected with the gutters on the root'of the house or other water-shed.

The upper part of the hopper 8 is provided with a coarse sieve or filter13, which prevents the entrance of foreign matter, such as sticks,leaves, moss, &c.-to the interior of the device, and the filter l3has abail or handle 14., by which it can be easily and readily removed fromthe hopper for the purpose of cleansing, should the meshes of the sievebecome clogged or obstructed. In the center of the hopper is secured avertical partition 15, on one side of which is placed a spout 16, on topof which hopper 8 is a convex sieve or strainer 17 with fine meshes. Thespout 16 passes through the hopper, with a slight inclination toward itsouter end, where it is provided with an elbow 18, causing it to passvertically through the center portion 7 of the lid 6. Below the spout 16is a small opening 19,the function of which, in connection with thespout, will be described farther on. On the other side of the partition15 the 'lid is cut away to form a passage 20, which opens with afunnel-shaped mouth or spout 2l,forming a part of the cover 6.

Vithin the casing 1 is pivoted a funnelshaped spout 22, carrying ahollow beam 23. On one end of the beam 23 is mounted a box 24, providedwith a series of compartments 25, in which are placed a series ofcounterpoises or weights 26. The box 24: is also provided with a lid 27,so as to admit of easy access to its interior, either for increasing ordiminishing the number of the weights or for arranging them in thecompartments. As before stated, the beam is hollow and carries withinits hollow portion a number of weights, shot, or balls 28, which areintroduced through an opening 29, the said opening being closed by meansof a sliding collar 30, so as to prevent the weights falling out whenthe position of the beam is changed, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.On the opposite end of the beam 23 to that on which the box is mountedis suspended abueket 31, the bail of which 32 is designed to restbetween lugs or projections 33 on the top of the beam 23 to prevent thehail from slipping off when the beam is tilted. As will be seen, thereare a plurality of these lugs. This is done to increase or diminish theweight necessary to overcome the weight 26, as by moving the bail intoward the pivot 34; a greater weight will be necessary to tilt the beamthan were the bail moved to the outer end of the same. On the top of thebucket 31 is placed a removable lid 35, which is concave, and in thecenter is a fine sieve or strainer 36, to prevent any foreign or solidmatter from entering the bucket. In the bottom of the bucket 31 is asmall outlet 37 to allow the water to pass from the bucket to awaste-pipe 38 in the bottom of the outer casing. At the opposite end ofthe casing to that in which the bucket is suspended is placed afilter-box 39, containing suitable filtering material 39, such ascharcoal, gravel, &c., the said box being supported on legs 10, whichrest upon the bottom of the casing, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Above the top of the filter-box is placed a deflector 11, which may bemade of any foraminous or reticulated material, and in the bottom of thefilter-box 39 is a sieve or strainer 12 to prevent the filteringmaterial from falling out and to let the water readily escape.Immediately below the filter-box 39 is a pipe l3, across the mouth ofwhich is placed a convex four-armed support 44, over which are stretchedtwo sieves or strainers 45 4.6, the upper one i5 being rather coarse andthe lower one 16 being very line. The object oli having two straihers isto prevent effectually the entrance of any foreign matter to the pipe43, which connects with a cistern or reservoir.

At one end of the filter-box 39 is secured a vertical partition or wall17, which extends across the casing and is hermetically sealed at thepoints where it joins the sides and the bottom of the casing.

Having now fully described my device, I will proceed to describe itsmanner of operation. The beam being in the position shown in Fig. 1, therain-water in entering the spout 12 falls directly upon the convex sieve17 on top of the spout 16 and a small portion of said rain-water passesthrough the convex sieve 17, then alon gthrough the spoutl 6, and onthrough the elbow 18, and is discharged upon the sieve 36 of thebucket-lid, the sieves 17 and 3G acting in conjunction to prevent anyforeign mat ter from getting inside the bucket 31 and obstructing thesmall outlet 37 in the bottom of the bucket. As the beam occupies thecenter of the casing, the pipe 16 has to be arranged at an angle theretoin order to prevent the water running over the beam, as will beunderstood by reference to Fig. 3. When the tank 16 (which is the nameapplied to the space formed by the partition 15 and the wall of thehopper 8, and in which the inner end of the spout 16 is placed) becomesfilled the rain-water pours down through the mouth 21, which opensinside the top of the funnelshaped spout 22 and down through said spout22, through the discharge-pipe 3S, thence onto the sewer or otherwaste-receptacle. At the same time the bucket is being slowly filled,and the roof of the house or other water-shed is being washed off, whilethe soiled water is discharged through the waste-pipe 38 and not intothe cistern. As soon as the bucket 31 is suiliciently filled its weightovercomes the counterpoise at the other end of the beam and causes thesame to tilt, thus throwing the mouth of the oscillating spout 22 overthe deflector 41, which causes the water to flow in an even sheet anddistributes it at various points, instead of discharging it at one spot.As soon as the beam begins to tilt the weights 28 roll to the oppositeend of the beam, and thus prevent an y oscillation of the spout after ithas once resumed the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.In order to pre vent the spout 22 moving too far stops 48 are provided,against which the spout abuts when swinging either into or out ofoperative position. The steps just referred to extend en tirely acrossthe casing; but, if desired, they may be secured to the funnel-shapedmouth 21, as shown at -19, or the mouth itself may be made of such sizeas to dispense with them, thus allowing the inside of the spout 22 toabut against the outside of the mouth 21. When the rain has ceased thebeam is caused to resume its normal position by the water in the bucketslowly escapiu g through the opeu- ICC IIC

ing 37, and the tank is likewise through the opening 19.

In practice I have found that the box of weights may be dispensed withand the form of weight shown in Fig. 5 used. In this i11- stance thebeam is provided with lugs at both ends, and one set is engaged by thebail or handle of the bucket and the other set by that of the weight 50.This will be found to perform the same function as the weighted box 24.If desired, I may dispense with the filter-box and place the filteringmaterial directly on the floor of the casing.

-When the cistern is filled and it is desired to to prevent the furtherflowof the waterthereto, the beam is held against movement by bringing aring 51 thereon into engagement with a hook 52 on the bar 11 of thecover 6.

If it should be found that the filter-box is emptied too small to allowthe water flowing thereto to be thoroughly filtered, its capacity may beincreased by making the end of the casing in which it is mounted largerthan the opposite end, as shown by dotted lines at 53 in Fig.4. This ofcourse will be optional and will be dispensed with, if desirable. 7

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rain-water cut-off and filter, the combination of a casing, afilter, a hollow beam, a spout connected therewith, abox on the beamcarrying counterpoises, which keep the spout normally out of operativeposition with the filter, a bucket, means for directing the flow ofwater to the same to cause it to overbalance the counterpoises and bringthe spout into operative position with the filter, and aseries" of ballsor weights in the beam.

counterpoises carried by the beam to keep the spout out of operativeposition with the filter, a bucket also carried by the beam,and meanswhereby the bucket may be moved and retained in place at differentpoints in the beam.

4. In a rain-water cut-off and filter, the combination of the casing 1,having wastefpipe 38 and discharge-pipe 43, a filter located in thecasing above the discharge-pipe 43, a removable lid 6 on top of thecasing, astationary hopper 8, attached to the top of said lid, aremovable sieve 13, mounted in the upper part of said hopper, the sieve17, located in the lower part of the hopper and having an elbow-pipe 16that opens into the casing, a spout 22, pivoted in the casing beneaththe hopper and provided with a connterpoised beam 23, and a bucket 31,suspended from one end of said beam above the waste-pipe and having inits top a sieve that is in line with the elbow-pipe, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

\VILLIAM IV. BAYS.

Witnesses:

W. H. ROBERTS, M. O. FRENCH.

